Landon Emenalo, the son of former Super Eagles player Michael Emenalo, has started training with Celtic after finishing his injury recovery at Chelsea.
The 18-year-old left-back moved to the Scottish champions on a season-long loan from Chelsea in September. He had to wait to join the team in Glasgow while he healed from his injury.
Celtic announced on Tuesday that Emenalo had joined manager Martin O’Neill’s squad, marking a key step towards his debut for the club.
Emenalo shared his excitement about finally being with his new teammates after the long wait. He said, "It’s really an honour to be here, especially after all this time. It felt good to train today and meet the guys. It’s a good group. So I can’t wait to get started."
He also welcomed the chance to reunite with fellow Chelsea loanee Shim Mheuka, who has already played for Celtic since his move. Emenalo added, "Obviously, I know Shim from Chelsea, so it’s nice to know someone here, but they’ve all welcomed me in, so it’s been pretty easy to join."
Emenalo will add more options on the left side of Celtic’s defense. O’Neill is looking for competition and depth in this area.
The manager had previously praised Emenalo’s athleticism, calmness on the ball, and willingness to help in attack. He said he believes Emenalo can strengthen the team. O’Neill noted, "Landon is a very good player we have followed for some time, and he will give us some real quality."
The defender grew through the academy systems at Monaco and Chelsea. He has also played for Chelsea’s Under-21 side and was part of the senior squad for their pre-season tour in Asia and Australia.
His return to training comes as Celtic prepares for a tough schedule ahead. But Emenalo was not part of the squad for Thursday’s Europa League match against Benfica because he was not registered for the tournament.
Now, the Nigerian-born defender hopes to build his fitness and make his first competitive appearance for the Scottish team.
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